


For all of what we are worth

by Rogercat



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Camping, F/M, First Meetings, Gen, Gift Giving, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-06 09:39:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14054124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogercat/pseuds/Rogercat
Summary: After suffering a injury in the wild, Caranthir meets a mortal woman





	For all of what we are worth

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: this is roughy set in year 370 of the First Age, five years before Haleth loses her brother and father in battle against orcs. I liked the idea of that Caranthir might have met Haleth before without knowing who she was or that they would meet again some years later.

In general, Caranthir was not the most social one of his brothers. But at the moment he was out on a mission he had been tasked. Celegorm had, by the language of the birds, confirmed to Maedhros that there was a new group of Secondborn arriving into Thargelion, the land of Caranthir and now Maedhros had asked his middle brother if there was any chance to made trade or alliance with the newcomers.   

 

“I would have checked them out, even before the request of my brother…”

 

Suddenly a loud snap in the bushes scared his horse. Normally, Caranthir had a great control over the stallion, but the white bird caused a lot of trouble due to the natural instinct to flee from danger.

 

“Easy now, boy! Calm down…”

 

Unfortunately, this was not one of his lucky days and Caranthir was stuck unconscious by a unusual thick tree branch straight in his face, falling out of the saddle to the ground.

 

~X~X~X~X~X~X

 

When Caranthir slowly woke up, he first felt that something wet laid on his forehead. A simple rag, made from a rather rough fabric, if he guessed right. And above him was the simple roof and walls of a tent. In the tent opening, he could see a fire burning outside.

 

“ _Lay still, it was a horrible hit to your head that you got,_ ” a female voice spoke, before one hand helped him up slightly so he could drink from a water skin. While Caranthir did not understand the language, he could hear that she meant no harm to him.

  


Over the next days, as his concussion healed, Caranthir learnt that his saviour was named Haleth and that she had been sent out as a scout by her clan. Why, she did not tell, but he guessed that she must belong to the new Secondborn that had arrived to Thargelion a few weeks ago. It was only logical for them to check out if the land was empty or there already lived people there.

 

“Surely you can not have found any dangers now?”

 

“Yes, but I have a more personal reason to not come home to my clan yet. There is a man who have requested my hand, and I am not too fond of him…”

 

Caranthir, who had seen his two eldest brothers being pestered by noble maidens wanting to marry them before Maglor had found his match in his beloved Rainiel who had remained behind in Valinor with their mother, therefore could imagine what she had dealt with.

 

“You do not feel ready for marriage yet, lady Haleth?”

 

“I do not want to marry any man at all. I have never liked the idea of caring for house and children, or even falling in love. As a younger girl, I thought that I was in love, but he...found another.”

 

Haleth was perhaps plain by Elven beauty standards, but but Caranthir found her chestnut brown hair to be a pleasant colour and thought that her greater beauty was that of her personality. She had revealed herself to be in her late twenties, a age when most Secondborn women were married and had at least two children.

 

“And he broke your heart?”

 

“Not really, rather that he was getting annoyed by that despite everything he did to catch my heart, I remained indifferent to him. In the end, he gave up and started to try another.”

 

What had grandfather Mahtan said about Elves who were not interested in marriage or romance feeling at all? “Pure-spirited ones”, as they had been called? Yes, something like that.

 

“Not all have to follow the same pattern of life. Sometimes it is good to break out of the system despite the risk of that it may not be fully accepted. Only two of my own brothers are married and there is only one in the third generation.”

 

That much was true, with Rainiel left in Valinor it was impossible for Maglor ro sire children and neither Curufin or Astarë believed it to be a good time to try for a second child so Celebrimbor could have a sibling.

 

“Well, my twin brother is married and have a little son on four autumns of age. So there is not really a pressure on me marrying and give my father more grandchildren. That lad will most likely be joined by siblings soon enough, if my brother and sister-in-law have enough fun in the bed.”

 

Caranthir smirked, finishing the simple tea Haleth had made on fresh flowers in boiling water. She was reasonable good on cooking simple foods that was easy to eat, but he guessed that it was for the best to not ask her to try making a more fancy meal when she did not have all the necessary cooking items and even if he helped out she seemed surprised to see a male do what normally tended to be a woman's work.  

 

“I have been gone far longer than planned because you needed help. My father will soon start look for me and I do not want to look like I have been meeting someone behind his back.”

 

That was something no unwed daughter would want to happen, so Caranthir started to gather his few belongings he had brought on this journey. Haleth had found his stallion and brought the horse to her small camp, so Caranthir had not needed to worry. His people skills was perhaps not the best, and he did not have the same skill with animals as his brother Celegorm, but he cared for those who were his own.

 

“Haleth. I would like to give you something. A gift for possibly saving my life when orcs could have found me instead of you.”

 

The bracelet, rather simple for a royal prince by being made of thin silver threads that had been branded together and with only three amber stones as decoration, were one of the last gifts Caranthir had gotten from his maternal grandfather Mahtan before the Exile, yet he knew that Mahtan would be proud if he repaid Haleth properly.

 

“I shall need to hide this, or the younger women in my clan shall become jealous on where I got this gift.”

 

Bowing as good he could from the saddle, Caranthir bid her farewell and wishes of a good life even if she remained unwed for the rest of her lifespan. As he rode off in the distance, Haleth looked down on the bracelet she had been given. It was the finest art piece she ever had seen, not counting the few items made from the Dwarves or traded from other humans in the past. Even if she may never see Caranthir again, she would treasure this meeting as one of the few times someone actually had listened to her personal reasons to not marrying.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: Well...I tried to show Haleth as asexual, in that her main reason for never marrying was that she does not experience sexual attraction. Very sorry if that were not obvious from the start.


End file.
